Dimethylformamide → 2-(3,4-Dichlorophenoxy)-3-(dimethylamino)prop-2-enal

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Reaction Steps

Dimethylformamide (29.2 g) was slowly added to 122.7 g of POCl3 in a reaction flask. After the addition was complete, the mixture was heated to 80° C. while 3,4-dichlorophenoxyacetaldehyde diethyl acetal (55.8 g) was added, and the resulting mixture was then heated for an additional two hours at about 80°-85° C. The reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and poured into about 400 g of potassium carbonate in an ice-water mixture and then extracted with methylene chloride. The methylene chloride extract was then dried and concentrated to a dark oil which solidified upon dilution with ethyl acetate. 22.1 g of the desired, 2-(3,4-dichlorophenoxy)-3-dimethylamino-propenal was obtained and subsequently identified by NMR spectroscopy.

Provenance & Evidence